EARLIEST CHURCH FATHERS VIEWS ON CHRONOLOGY COMPARED TO

EARLIEST CHURCH FATHERS VIEWS ON CHRONOLOGY COMPARED TO VOLUME 2 ORIGEN 184 -253 AD

CONFLICTING SCRIPTURES Acts 13: 20 says Period of Judges = 450 years 1 Kings 6: 1 says From Exodus to Solomon’s 4 th yr = 480 yrs So how do these texts conflict?

349 The only way to make 1 Kings 6: 1 equal This is the only formula to make 480 years is to shorten the Period of the 1 Kings 6: 1 work. Judges from 450 down to 349 years.

Should Joshua and the Elders be included in or added to the 450 years?

Should Joshua and the Elders be included in or added to the 450 years?

Per Br. Morton Edgar’s article on the Judges, these three periods that add up to 140 years should actually be only 80 years. Judges 3: 15 & 30 (NKJV) “ 15 But when the children of Israel cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for them: Ehud the son of Gera… 30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest for eighty years. ”

Per Br. Morton Edgar’s article on the Judges, these three periods that add up to 140 years should actually be only 80 years. * 80 Years of rest would include Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah ** Shamgar was a weak Judge and the highways were not safe during his judgeship (Judges 5: 6). In his 20 th year he died, then Deborah and Barak delivered Israel from Jabin King of Canaan.

Judges 3: 31 (NKJV) “After him [Ehud] was Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed six hundred men of the Philistines with an ox goad; and he also delivered Israel. ” Judges 4: 1 -3 (NKJV) “ 1 When Ehud was dead, the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD. 2 So the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who dwelt in Harosheth Hagoyim. 3 And the children of Israel cried out to the LORD; for Jabin had nine hundred chariots of iron, and for twenty years he harshly oppressed the children of Israel. ”

Judges 5: 6 -7 (Amplified) “ 6 After the days of Shamgar son of Anath, after the days of Jael meaning here Ehud the caravans ceased, travelers walked through byways [backroads]. 7 The villages were unoccupied {and } rulers ceased in Israel until you arose--you, Deborah, arose--a mother in Israel. ” Judges 4: 1 -3 (NKJV) “ 1 When Ehud was dead, the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD. 2 So the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who dwelt in Harosheth Hagoyim. 3 And the children of Israel cried out to the LORD; for Jabin had nine hundred chariots of iron, and for twenty years he harshly oppressed the children of Israel. ”

Should Joshua and the Elders be included in the 450 years?

Should Joshua and the Elders be included in the 450 years? YES! 140 years reduced to 80 years of rest equals ------60 years for Joshua & the elders

We do not know the reliability or age of the source manuscripts that these manuscripts were copied from.

Origen, the Alexandrian church father in the early third century, said: ORIGEN 184 -253 AD ". . . the differences among the manuscripts [of the Gospels] have become great, either through the negligence of some copyists or through the perverse audacity of others; they either neglect to check over what they have transcribed, or, in the process of checking, they lengthen or shorten, as they please. "

Eusebius of Caesarea, Chronicon, Book 1 Page 101: “…The holy Apostle Paul, in his speech to the Jews in the Acts of the Apostles, says as follows [ 13'19 -22 ]: "Joshua destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, and he divided the land [amongst the Jews] for 450 years… That is what the Apostle says. According to him, there were 534 years after Joshua. As well as the 450 years, which he assigns to the judges until Samuel, ”

ALBERT BARNS NOTES: Acts 13: 20 “About the space of our hundred and fifty years. ” This is a most difficult passage, and has exercised all the ingenuity of chronologists. The ancient versions agree with the present Greek text. The difficulty has been to reconcile it with what is said in 1 Kings 6: 1…

ALBERT BARNS NOTES: Acts 13: 20 (continued) Various ways have been proposed to meet the difficulty. Doddridge renders it, “After these transactions, [which lasted] four hundred and fifty years, he gave them a series of judges, ” etc. , reckoning from the birth of Isaac, and supposing that Paul meant to refer to this whole time. But to this there are serious objections. 1. It is a forced and constrained interpretation, and one manifestly made to meet a difficulty. 2. There is no propriety in commencing this period at the birth of Isaac. That was in no manner remarkable, so far as Paul’s narrative was concerned; and Paul had not even referred to it… 3. There is reason to believe that which is here mentioned was the common chronology of his time. It accords remarkably with that which is used by Josephus….

Acts 13: 19 -21 Earliest Manuscripts: AND AFTER DESTROYED NATIONS SEVEN IN LAND OF CANAAN HE DISTRIBUTED BY LOT THE LAND OF THEM AS YEARS FOUR HUNDRED AND FIFTY AND AFTER THESE HE GAVE JUDGES UNTIL SAMUEL THE PROPHET. Later Manuscripts: AND AFTER DESTROYED NATIONS SEVEN IN LAND OF CANAAN HE DISTRIBUTED BY LOT TO THEM THE LAND OF THEM AND AFTER THESE AS YEARS FOUR HUNDRED AND FIFTY HE GIVES JUDGES UNTIL SAMUEL THE PROPHET.

Acts 13: 19 -21 Earliest Manuscripts: AND AFTER DESTROYED NATIONS SEVEN IN LAND OF CANAAN HE DISTRIBUTED BY LOT THE LAND OF THEM AS YEARS FOUR HUNDRED AND FIFTY AND AFTER THESE HE GAVE JUDGES UNTIL SAMUEL THE PROPHET. NASV: “ 19 "When He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He distributed their land as an inheritance— all of which took about four hundred and fifty years. 20 "After these things He gave them judges until Samuel the prophet.

Acts 13: 17 -20: (NASV) “ 17 "The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He led them out from it. 18 "For a period of about forty years He put up with them in the wilderness. 19 "When He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He distributed their land as an inheritance - all of which took about four hundred and fifty years. 20 "After these things He gave them judges until Samuel the prophet.

Genesis 18: 17 -18 (NASV) “ 17 The LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, 18 since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed? 19 “For I have chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice…”

Acts 13: 17 -20: (NASV) “ 17 "The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He led them out from it. 18 "For a period of about forty years He put up with them in the wilderness. 19 "When He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He distributed their land as an inheritance— all of which took about four hundred and fifty years. 20 "After these things He gave them judges until Samuel the prophet.

Eusebius “Years” reconciled to the 430 years of Galatians 3: 17 and the 400 years of Genesis 15: 13

1 Kings 6: 1: (KJV) “It came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD. ”

349 The only way to make 1 Kings 6: 1 equal 480 years is to shorten the Period of the Judges from 450 down to 349 years.

Early writers not in agreement with 480 years of 1 Kings 6: 1 Except for Septuagint, early writer figures add up to around 600 years, not 480 years.

ORIGEN 184 -253 AD Origen quotes 1 Kings 5: 17 -6: 1 as: “The king commanded and they brought great stones, costly stones, and hewed stones, to lay the foundation of the house. Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders did hew them and the stonesquarers: so they prepared timber and stones to build the house. And it came to pass (in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt) in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD. ”

Early Chronologists on 1 Kings 6: 1 There are no surviving Hebrew manuscripts of 1 Kings 6: 1 that date back to the early centuries of the Christian Era. Earliest writers concerned with chronology make no reference to the 480 years of 1 Kings 6: 1. Most refer to the period in 1 Kings 6: 1 as about 100 years greater than 480 years.

Early Chronologists on 1 Kings 6: 1 Origen quotes 1 Kings 6: 1, WITHOUT the words ‘in the four hundred eightieth year” Theophilus gives the period as 566 or 592 years, yet he makes no reference to the supposed 480 years of 1 Kings 6: 1.

Early Chronologists on 1 Kings 6: 1 Clement observed that the majority of chronologists recorded this period between 576 and 595 years, yet he makes no reference to the supposed 480 years of 1 Kings 6: 1. Josephus identifies this period as being 594 years.

1 Kings 6: 1 Do you believe that early Chronologists never read 1 Kings 6: 1?

1 Kings 6: 1 Do you believe that early Chronologists never read 1 Kings 6: 1?

EUSEBIUS Known as the Father of Church History Eusebius was bishop of Caesarea Palestine from about A. D. 314 to A. D. 340.

EUSEBIUS 600 Error: period from Exodus to Solomon’s 4 th Year (Should be 580 years. ) - 40 in the wilderness - 27 Joshua plus dividing the land [This is an error as Joshua should be included in the 450 years below. ] - 40 Saul’s reign - 40 David reign - 4 Solomon (to building Temple starting in his 4 th yr. ) -----= 450 Agrees with Acts 13: 20 for Period of the Judges

EUSEBIUS CALCULATION 600 Exodus to Solomon’s 4 th year -120 Subtract total periods of oppressions ------480 Adjusted Exodus to Solomon’s 4 th year (calculation agrees with Jewish Teachers)

EUSEBIUS WROTE " In the Hebrew version, it says "It happened in the 480 th year" because the Jewish teachers, by a careful calculation, decided that the total came to 480 years. They did not count separately the years in which the foreigners are said to have ruled over the people [of Israel], but counted just the time that the judges ruled them, and included within this the periods of foreign domination. And this must be how it is done, because it is the only way that the total can be made to be 480 years…. ”

EUSEBIUS 6 8 18 20 7 3 18 40 ----- Division/Conquering of the Land (not in full control of it) years servitude to king of Mesopotamia years servitude to Moab years servitude to Jabin years bondage under Midian years reign of Abimelech (oppression by a corrupt King) years period of oppression of Ammon years oppression by the Philistines 120 Total Years Counting up the years of Oppressions

EUSEBIUS CALCULATION 600 Exodus to Solomon’s 4 th year -120 Subtract total periods of oppressions ------480 Adjusted Exodus to Solomon’s 4 th year (calculation agrees with Jewish Teachers) Do you agree with how the Jewish Teachers arrived at 480 years in 1 Kings 6: 1?

ANOTHER WAY TO CALCULATE 450 YEARS FROM THE BOOK OF JUDGES

Period Years 59 1 8 2 40 3 18 4 80 5 6 7 7 8 40 9 3 10 23 11 22 300 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 6 7 10 8 40 40 45 -6 450 Period Identity, Scripture Reference Judgeship of Joshua and the elders that outlived him Servitude to Mesopotamia Judges 3: 8 Judgeship of Othniel “ 3: 9 -11 Servitude to Moab “ 3: 1 Rest under Ehud “ 3: 15 -30 (Jabin in 20 th yr & Deborah 40 yr) Servitude to Jabin “ 4: 1 -3 included above Rest under Deborah “ 5: 31 included above Bondage under Midian “ 6: 1 Rest under Gideon “ 8: 28 Reign of Abimelech “ 9: 1 -22 Judgeship of Tola “ 10: 1, 2 Judgeship of Jair “ 10: 3 (sub-total) Judges 11: 26 Judgeship of Jephthah “ 12: 7 Judgeship of Ibzan “ 12: 8, 9 Judgeship of Elon “ 12: 10, 11 Judgeship of Abdon “ 12: 12 -15 Oppression of Philistines “ 13: 1 Judgeship of Eli 1 Sam. 4: 12 -18 Judgeship of Samuel “ 8: 5 Subtract out 6 years for the dividing of the land TOTAL Acts 13: 20, 21 First 300 years agrees with Judges 11: 26 Here is Bro. Morton Edgar’s attempt to add up all the Remaining Judges and 150 years arrive or at so 450 completes the years. 450 years

Judges 11: 26 ‘While Israel lived in Heshbon and its villages, and in Aroer and its villages, and in all the cities that are on the banks of the Arnon, three hundred years, why did you not recover them within that time? - NASV

The New view overlaps Here. Chronology is what years remain afterthese periods to. Jephtha’s reduce 156 years to 56 years 300 years Period Years 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 300 6 7 10 8 40 40 45 -6 450 Period Identity, Scripture Reference (sub-total) Judges 11: 26 Judgeship of Jephthah “ 12: 7 Judgeship of Ibzan “ 12: 8, 9 Judgeship of Elon “ 12: 10, 11 Judgeship of Abdon “ 12: 12 -15 Oppression of Philistines “ 13: 1 Judgeship of Eli 1 Sam. 4: 12 -18 Judgeship of Samuel “ 8: 5 Subtract out 6 years for the dividing of the land TOTAL Acts 13: 20, 21

INTERNAL EVIDENCE FROM THE BOOK OF JUDGES Can the Period of the Judges be shortened to 349 years? Requirements: 1) Overlapping judgeships 2) Regional judgeships

PROPOSED OVERLAPS FOR 349 YEARS

1) Jephtha, Ibzan & Elon PROPOSED OVERLAPS FOR 349 YEARS 2) Samson 3) Samuel Can there be three Judges at the same time?

Local Judges? Othniel - Jg 3: 10 - “Judged Israel” Ehud - Jg 3: 15 - “when the children of Israel cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer” Deborah - Jg 4: 4 – “was judging Israel at that time” Gideon - Jg 6: 14 – “the LORD said, "…you shall save Israel” Tola - Jg 10: 2 – “there arose to save Israel Tola” Jair - Jg 10: 3 – “judged Israel” Jephthah - Jg 12: 7 – “judged Israel” Ibzan - Jg 12: 8 - “judged Israel” Elon – Jg 12: 11 - “judged Israel” Abdon - Jg 12: 13 – “judged Israel” Samson Jg 15: 20 & 16: 31 – “judged Israel” Eli - 1 Sam 4: 8 – “judged Israel” Samuel - 1 Sam 7: 15 -17 - “judged Israel”

SUMMARY Early Church Fathers Chronology best fits Volume 2 • 450 years for the Judges (not 349) • 580 years for Exodus to Temple (not 480) Origen found the Egyptian manuscripts to be less reliable. They make NO sense unless “all of which took” is added. Even then 450 years does NOT take you back far enough to reach Abraham, the first of the “Fathers. ” Hence the 450 years applies to the period of the Judges 11: 26 demonstrates that the first 300 years of Judges are sequential without overlaps. It is inconsistent to believe that the last 156 years of Judges includes extensive overlaps, shortening the time to 56 years.

JOSEPHUS’ TESTIMONY: “After Abdon was dead, the Philistines overcame the Israelites and received tribute of them forty years. ” Antiquities of the Jews, Cha 8, par 1.

JOSEPHUS TESTIMONY: “Now after the death of Samson, Eli the high priest was governor of the Israelites. ” Antiquities of the Jews, Cha 9, par 1.

Luke 12: (NKJV) 35 "Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; 36 "and yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately. 37 "Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them.

Remarkable Parallels and Time Prophecies confirm Bible Chronology just like a Bank Statement reconciles to the General Leger Cash Account.